The SQUEEZE project aims to achieve systematic conservation planning of a sustainable and acceptable protected tundra area network at the circum-Arctic scale taking dynamics of Arctic stressors, biodiversity, ecosystem functions and management opportunities into account. SQUEEZE addresses two main questions:
1) “Which areas should be protected now to enable tundra biodiversity and related ecosystem services to survive the future warming peak?” and
2) “How can conservation planning help resolve potential land-use conflicts and management decisions?”
The postdoc will work on a process-based numerical modelling approach to assess past and future dynamics of tundra vegetation communities and their associated ecosystem functions. These will include permafrost protection and sustenance of reindeer populations. Stressors that will be considered are climate change and tree invasion, which both may be moderated by fire and herbivory management. The model will provide scenario-based maps of regions where key tundra species may survive under multiple stressors and management scenarios and will thus facilitate optimised protection area establishment.
The work will be conducted in close collaboration with the partner institutions Alfred Wegener Institute at the Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research in Potsdam, University of Leipzig, University of Münster, and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Germany.
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A university degree in a relevant field, plus doctorate.
Examples are Ecology, Biology, Geosciences, or Physics. The successful candidate needs to have advanced knowledge and experience in at least two of the following research disciplines: Ecology, biogeochemistry, soil science, hydrology, and climate science. Advanced and proven skills in numerical modeling and scientific writing are required. Further assets are team spirit, high motivation, independent thinking and working, and general experience with Unix-like operating systems and associated software. Very good oral and written English skills are necessary.
- Earth Geosciences
- Climate Modeling
- Applied Ecology
